mt french builder (eng only)

7/28/2019 MT French Builder (Eng Only)

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MICHEL THOMAS FRENCH (BUILDER) COURSE, 2 CDs

TRANSCRIPT

This is an approximate transcript of the course, since Michel often changed his mind in

the middle of a sentence to be translated, or adapted his sentences for the students. The

booklet that accompanied Michel's courses was wholly inadequate, so I have written thistranscript. I have found it useful, so maybe other people will, too.

Naturally, it would be foolish to try to learn the language using this transcript, withoutbuying the recordings.

Note that English is my native language, so I don't guarantee that there are no mistakes.

An asterisk denotes a phrase that is highlighted in the booklet which accompanies therecordings. Tracks and track times in the recording are shown in brackets. Page

numbers in the booklet are also shown in brackets.

Version 2, Jan 15th 2006Transcribed by JK

CD 1 (79.18)

(Track 1, 9.47)

*I want...I want it

I want that

I want to have it

I want to have that*I would like...

...to see it/him/her...very much like to see her*I must...

...speak with her/him

...talk to him/her*I like, I love...

...to do it

(You could sayJe voudrais aller lfor "I would like to go there", but it is much better tousey. y means "to it" or "there" and as a pronoun comes before the verb. You can pushthe -s ofje voudrais intoy aller)I am going to go there

I am going there*sometimes

once, twice, three times

for the first/last timefor the next time

(p8)

I go there sometimes

...but not often


2/22

very often / not very often

...but not very often

*It's rareIt isn't very interesting

(You can push the -s oftrs into intressant)

*besides......I don't like to do it

*It is too far

It is very farIt is very far from here

And besides, it's too far from here

Is it far from here? / How far is it from here?

It's not far*It is near

It is near here (near from here)

*to go on foot / to walk

You can go on foot / walkIt is too far to walk there

(When "to"in English means "in order to" you use pourfollowed by the verb)You can take a taxi

One must go there by car (in car)

(p9)

(You can push the tofdoitintoy aller)One can / must take a taxi to go there

(Track 2, 6.49)

*It's all right (it goes, it is going)a va

It's fine, it's going fine

It's all right that way / like thatIt's better

It's going better now

Everything is going better nowIt's going much better that way / like that

What do you prefer?

I prefer it like that

I like it......that way

...better that way

...much better that wayI don't like to go there now

*really

I don't really like itI don't really like to go there

not really

(vraimentmeans "really" or "truly". vraimeans "true"; c'est vraimeans "it's true";Ahvraiment? means "Is that so?")


3/22

(p10)

*at any rate (in all case)...

...not tonight

...because I am too tired

I prefer (to stay) staying here

I like better staying here*I don't feel like...

...going out

(avoir envie de means "to feel like something". A noun or an adjective needs de if it isfollowed by verb)

I don't feel like...

...doing it

...seeing it

...staying here

I don't feel like...

...going to see it

...going there tonightI really feel like going to the movies tonight

I feel like seeing this pictureI feel like going to see this picture

*It appears, it seems

It appears that it is very interestingIt appears that it is a very interesting picture

I feel like seeing it

(p11)

*It interests meIt interests me very much

It doesn't interest me

*not at allIt doesn't interest me at all

*I find it, I think it is...

...very interestingWhat do you think? (What is it that you think?)

What do you think of it?

In my opinion...

...one/we can go there

...we can go there

(on meaning "one" is very often used for "we" instead of the nous form)(Track 3, 8.15)*It is worth the trouble

It is worth doing it

It is not worth doing itIt is not worth going there

(For "It's not worth it" you can also say Ce n'est pas la peine)*I think/believe that...


4/22

...it's worth it

...it's worth going there to see it

*perhapsBut perhaps not tonight

Perhaps tomorrow night...

(p12)...if you like

...if you feel like doing it

(You can push thezofavezinto envie)*It appeals to me, it pleases me, I like it

I would like to have it because I like it

It pleases me very much

It pleases you? Do you like it?(platas in s'il vous platmeaning "please", literally "if it pleases you")You want it?

Do you want it? (Is it that you want it?)

You want to have it?(Forming a question: The simplest way of forming a question is to say a statement in a

question in tone. Another easy way is to putEst-ce que "is it that..." at the beginningof a statement)

*You want some of it?

You want to have some of it?How much of it do you want?

I want some

I don't want any

I don't want any more of it(en means "of it"; it is a pronoun and comes before the verb)*too bad, so what

(tantmeans "so much",pis means "worse", literally "so much the worse")(p13)

*so much the better

so much the better for meso much the worse for you

*How much is it?

How much is it worth?

It's not worth much (big thing)I like it very much

*I must have it

*How much do I owe you?(Je dois means both "I must" and "I owe")*I don't like it

Do you like it?Does it appeal to you, do you like it? (Is it that you like it?)

I don't like doing it

*I am very glad...

*...to see you


5/22

*I am very happy...

...to see you

...to arrange it for you*fortunately, happily

Fortunately it will be possible to do it

(p14)*unfortunately

But unfortunately I can't do it today

I cannot do itI cannot do anything...

...but possibly tomorrow

*If it is all right with you (if it goes to you)

(Track 4, 6.27)*there is, there are...

*There are many people

(le monde means "world", as in tout le monde "everybody", literally "all the world")

Everybody is thereThere are too many people

*There is a message for youThere are no messages

Are there any messages?

*Nothing todayNothing any more

There is nothing any more

*I would like to leave a message

Can I leave a message?(laissermeans "to leave" or "to leave behind")(p15)

*I am looking for it......everywhere

I see it everywhere

I'm looking for it everywhere but......I cannot find it

(cherchermeans "to look for" or "to search", as in chercher la femme, "to look for thewoman")

*I don't know where it is*Look! It's there

It's over there

(regardermeans "to look"; cherchermeans "to look for")*I know where it is (emphasising I)

(Use moito emphasise "I". In English, for emphasis, we raise our voice instead)*Will you bring it?Will you bring it to me?

I'm bringing it


6/22

I'm bringing it to you

(apportermeans "to bring";portermeans "to carry" and also "to wear")*of course*naturally

(aller + cherchermeans "to get", soje vais le chercherdoesn't mean "I'm going to look

for it", but "I'm going to get it". "I will look for it" isje le chercherai)(p16)*I know where it is and I am going to get it

*I must hurry (I must dispatch myself)I am going to hurry

Will you hurry?

*I am in a hurry, I am pressed for time

I'm very much in a hurryI must hurry because...

...I am very pressed for time

(Track 5, 13.52)

*There is a lot of......traffic

It is going to take a very long time......to get there

*late

I am going to be lateI will be there late

I will be there in a few minutes

(In French there is a difference between "late" meaning "belated" as inJe suis en retardand "late" as in "It is too late"C'est trop tard)*something

Is there something for me?

No, there isn't anythingWhat do you have for me?

(p17)

*something to...Do you have something to eat?

I have something to tell you

I have many things to do

I have nothing to do nowNothing doing

*It doesn't matter (It doesn't do anything)

It isn't very important to do itIt doesn't have much importance

*It gives me pleasure (it makes me pleasure)

I'm very pleased......to see you

...to do it for you

It will give me great pleasure to see you, I am looking forward to seeing you


7/22

I am tired

I am exhausted

I must rest (I must rest myself)I am going to have a rest (rest myself)

*There is much noise

There is too much noiseOne is making too much noise

It makes too much noise

It disturbs me (It deranges me)(p18)

It disturbs me very much

It doesn't disturb me

It doesn't disturb me at allIt annoys me

It doesn't annoy me

*I have the impression that...

...she doesn't want it...she doesn't want to do it

I want to do it but I won't do it today......because I am too busy to (in order to) do it today

(You can push thep oftrop into occup)*It seems (me) that......she doesn't feel like going there

*In my opinion...

...I agree (I am in accord) with you

It's OKOK, agreed

*It interests me a great deal

It interests me enormouslyBut unfortunately it doesn't interest me at all

*I don't think (believe) that...

...he is going to be there this afternoon(p19)

(aprs means "after" andmidimeans "mid-day" or "noon"; midimeans "at noon")*...but we will see

I don't know if I can do it but we will seeIt won't be possible to do it this way

I don't think so, I don't believe it

I don't think soAre you sure?

Of course

Of course I'm sureLook!


8/22

It's on the table

(srmeans "sure" andsurmeans "on")Will you put it......under the table?

...on the floor (terra, land)?

It's on the floorI'm going to put it on the floor

Will you put it there on the floor?

(Track 6, 10.04)*We have to / must go there

*One / we must...

...go there now

...go there right away(p20)

(You can push the toffautinto the vowel sound at the beginning ofy aller)I would like to have it right away

I must have it straightaway*One / We must not...

...buy itWe must not buy it...

...because it's too expensive

I need this book, that's all*That's all (that)...

...I want

...you want

That's all I need (all that is necessary to me)Do you need anything else?

No thank you

That will be allWill you show me?

*Will you let me (made me) see?

I am going to show you something elseI can show you something else

Will you show me what you have?

*Will you let me (make me) know?

I will let you (make you) know tomorrow(p21)

I am going to let you know tomorrow

Will you let me know......at what time it will be ready?

...at what time it is going to be ready?

*to find out (to enquire oneself)to teach

enquiries window

I'm going to find out

Will you find out?


9/22

I need (I have need of) information

I need some information

I must find out......and I will let you know tomorrow

...and I am going to let you know tomorrow

*to be able tothe power

He does not have the power to do it

He cannot do itI cannot do it

I am not going to be able to do it

I will be able to do it

I will not be able to do it(In the future tense,pouvoircontracts. Other verbs ending in -oirare similar in thefuture tense: voir (je verrai), savoir (je saurai), devoir (je devrai) and so on)I won't be able to find it here

(p22)*Do you have any (of it)?

No, I don't have any (of it)*There is / are some (of it)

There is / are still some, there is / are still some left

I don't have any more (of it)There is / are no more (of it) (We're out of it)

There isn't / aren't any (of it)

*I'm sorry...

...but the aren't any more of it(Track 7, 8.13)

*How are you? (How are you going?)

I'm fine (going well). And you?I'm / It's fine, I'm / It's all right

*I get by, I manage, I am managing

I get by in FrenchI will manage, I will find a way (to do something)

I don't know how but...

...I am going to manage

(You use de afterdemander, dire anddeciderif they are followed by a full (infinitive)verb)

*I am going to decide to...

I am going to decide to do itI cannot decide to do it

(p23)

I'm going to ask him / herI'm going to ask them

I'm going to ask him / her...

...if he can / if she can do it

...to come with us


10/22

*I would like to ask you...

...to come with us

*Will you tell him / her......to wait?

Will you ask him / her to call me later?

I think that he will decide to do itI am decided / determined to do it immediately

to try, to try on

*I would like...I would like to try it on

May I?

May I see it?

Can I see it?Is it all right? May I? (You permit?)

(You use de afteressayerandoublierif a verb follows)*I am going to try...

...to do itI don't know if I can do it...

...but I am going to try to do it(p24)

*I am not going to forget...

...to do it

...to tell you

...to give it to you

...to give it to him / her

(When there are two l- words, as in le luiandle leur, le comes before the pronounbeginning with l-. When there is only one l- words, all other pronouns such as me, te,nous, vous come before le)I would like to give it to youI would like to give it to him / her

I'm not going to forget...

I won't forget......to give it to him / her

(Track 8, 5.51)

*I really feel like doing it...

...but I don't know if I can do it*I will / I am going to try to do it

She would like to try on the dress

He would like to try it on*Is it worth going there?

It's not worth doing it

One / We can go there now if you want(p25)

(You can push the tofpeutintoy aller)


11/22

*Will you ask him / her to wait for me?

Will you tell him / her to wait for me?

Will you come with me? Do you want to come with me?*Yes, certainly

*I would like to

I want toAgreed, certainly

Gladly

You are very niceIt's very nice of you

*OK? Is it OK?

Does it agree with you? (It goes with you?) Is it OK with you?

Is it all right with you? (It convenes with you?)It's all right with me

It's going well

It's not all right with me, it's not convenient for me

I like thatIt pleases me

It's a good ideaI like that idea

That is a good idea

(end of recording)


12/22

CD 2 76.06

(Track 1, 3.27, p26)

*I like...I like very much...

I like very much to travel, I very much like travelling

*to spend timeto spend the weekend

I think (believe) that I am going to spend my vacation

...first in France

...and then / later in Italy

*I plan on...

(pensermeans "to think" and also "to plan")I plan on leaving (think to leave) soonWhen do you plan on leaving (think to leave)?

How long do you plan on staying?

I plan on leaving Monday

I plan on leaving next Monday(Days of the week: Most of the Days of the week are named after Latin and Greek gods

and the planets:)(Track 2, 3.46)

*Monday

*Tuesday(p27)

next Tuesday, Tuesday morning

*Wednesday

next Wednesday, Wednesday evening*Thursday

*Friday

*Saturday*Sunday

Sunday morning

(Months of the year)*January

in January, in the month of January

the next month, next month

in a month*February, in the month of February

*March, April, May, June, July

*August, September, October*November, December

(Track 3, 3.58)

*I plan on......spending a few weeks in France

*I expect to, I hope to...

...spend a few weeks in France


13/22

*I intend to...

...spend a few weeks in France

I expect/hope to spend several weeks in France(p28)

I intend to leave next week

I will see you / I'm going to see you......in a week

eight days ago

*I am going to leave......in two weeks / in a fortnight

I am going to / I will see...

...in two weeks

We will arrive in two weeks(Asking for directions: If you stop a policeman to ask for directions you will sayPardonMonsieur. Simply say Pour aller ... "to go to...", the place you want to go to ands'ilvous plat? "please?". Using a questioning tone of voice you can even say just the name

and the place ands'il vous plat?)(Track 4, 4.46)Excuse me......(can you tell me) the way to

Place de l'Opra please?

...(can you tell me) the way to Lyon / the road for Lyon?*Cross the street...

*...then you continue / keep going straight ahead

...turn left

...turn right(p29)

...at the third street you turn right

*It is on the right side / to your rightIt is on the left side / to your left

(Note the difference between tout droit"straight ahead" and droite "on the right". Thetis sounded there)*It is right in front

It is on this side

*It is on the other side

I thank you very muchThanks a thousand times / many times

*It is this way

You can find it......this way

...that way

You will find it that wayIt is that way

It is at the corner


14/22

It is on the corner of the road

It is not far from here, it is on the corner of the street

It is at the end of the streetIt is right there at the end of the street

It is there, It is over there (there down)

You can find it over thereVous pouvez le trouver l-bas

(aussi...que means "as...as"; aussiby itself means "also"; non plus means "neither")(Track 5, 3.21, p30)Will you ask him...

...to send it to me?

*...as quickly as possible?

I will also do itIt pleases me also, I like it also

I don't want it

I don't want it any more

Me neither*Can you do it as soon as possible?

Can you be here as quickly as possible?I am going to arrange it for you as quickly as possible

*I beg you to...

...do it

...arrange it for me

Will you...

...do it please?

...arrange it for me pleaseWill you come with me...

...please?

...I beg you?(Je vous prie, fromprier"to beg" is a more emphatic form of "please")(Track 6, 7.46)

*It is......terrible

...horrible

...awful

(p31)I am going to find out (inform myself)

I must find out

I have just found out (I come from finding out)*Will you try to...

...get it for me?

I am going to try to......get it for you

...do it

I am going to take the plane...


15/22

...to go (in order to go) to London

*It works, it functions (it marches)

It works well like that*It doesn't work

It doesn't work well

(Usefairefor "to have something done")*I want to get /space have my shirts washedWill you...

...have my suit cleaned (made neat)?

...have the dress cleaned?

...have it cleaned?

...have it repaired?

...have it washed?

...have it ironed?

...have him wait, make him wait?

...have him come up to my room?

...have my luggage taken down?(p32)

...have it taken up?

...have my breakfast brought up?

...have me awakened / woken up tomorrow morning at eight o'clock?

...let me know?

(montermeans "to go up", "to come up", "to bring up", "to take up", "to carry up" etc;descendre means "to go down", "to bring down", "to take down", "to carry down")I will let you know

I am going to let you knowWill you have it changed?

Can you show me something else?

Can you show me something else? (Can you make me see...?)*I'm going to have it done (to make it do)

Will you have it done / made for me?

Will you get (make come) a doctor?Will you get a taxi?

Will you call a taxi?

Will you pass the sugar?

*May I...?May I see it?

(If you are reaching out the something, you will say Vous permettez? "You permit?","May I?". Or, if someone says this to you, you will applyJe vous prie "I beg you" orJevous en prie "I beg you of it", "please do")Will you repair it for me?

Will you have it repaired for me?(Track 7, 7.00, p33)


16/22

Pardon? Pardon me? Excuse me? (When you want someone to repeat something)

Pardon? Pardon me? Excuse me? (How?)

Will you repeat it, please? (You are saying?)I would like to say it...

...but I don't know how to express it in French

I would like to know how to express myself better in French*How does one say it in French? How do you say it...? (How does it say itself?)

I would like to know how it is being said in French

Will you / Could you tell me how one says it in French?*How do you spell it in French? (How does it write itself?)

I am certain / short that he is going to have a lot of trouble

(English words ending in -ty: All English words ending in -ty end in -tin French:"liberty"libert, "opportunity"opportunit, "facility"facilit, "difficulty"difficult.Similarly, English words ending in -em end in -me in French: "problem"problme,"system"systme)(p34)

One is going to have many problems*to mean

You mean... (You want to say...)*I mean...

That's not what I mean

What do you mean? (What do you want to say?)I don't understand what you mean

*It means...

Will you explain what you mean?

Can you explain what that means?*What does it mean?

I don't understand what it means

*Do you want a drink?Will you have a drink with me?

As you like

If you like, If you wantI don't care (It is equal to me)

It's not worth insisting

Why insist? Don't bother insisting

*It is evident(Track 8, 10.20)


17/22

(English words ending in -ly: To form the equivalent of-ly words in English, in generalyou simply add-mentto the adjective in French -probable, probablement. For allwords ending in -antand-ent, such as "evident" and "constant", drop the ending andadd-ammentor-emment, e.g. evidemment, constamment)*possible, possibly

comfortable, comfortablyevident, evidently

recent, recently

constant, constantlyHe is doing it constantly

He is doing the same thing constantly

not very frequently

to frequent, to go often toI like to frequent this restaurant

*It doesn't matter (It doesn't do anything)

It is all the same to me, I don't care

Really, Is that so? (Truly?)So much the better

It's much better that wayToo bad, So much the worse, So what?

There are no problems

I am angry*evening, day, morning

Thank you for that lovely evening

to give an evening party

(p36)It is / was a pleasant (agreeable) evening

to spend a (whole) day

to spend a (whole) morning*together

If you want, we can go to the movies together

We can drive there by carIt is ridiculous

It is too bad

I thank you

*It seems to me that......everything is all right (is going well)

*at least (at less)

I would like to go there......at least I will see what it is

*specially

It is very specialthe speciality

What speciality do you have?

What is the speciality of the house?


18/22

Especially if you can tell me what you think

*Above all / Mainly if you can tell me...

*to reflect, to think aboutI am going to think about it

Let me think about it

(p37)I am going to let you know in a week

I will let you know...

It is going very wellIt is going much better

*to feel

I feel it

*I feel fine (feel myself)I feel better

I feel much better today

I feel much better when I am alone

I work much better when I am alone*I don't need / have need of anything

I don't need / have need of itI need / have need of that

I need / have need of it

(Track 9, 6.31)*There are too many people here

Everybody is here

Everybody is going to be here

Everybody is going to be there tonightThere are many people

I don't want to stay here...

...because there are too many people here

...also it is very warm here

(p38)

There is no air-conditioning hereIt is not air-conditioned

I cannot stand the heat

(To say "it is..." when you are talking about whether, use il fait "it makes...", notc'est...)*It is...

...warm, hot

...fine, beautiful weather

...fine, beautiful weather

...cold

*to be (to have) cold / warmI am (have) warm

Are you cold?

(Note: If you saytes-vous froid? this means "are you a cold person?")


19/22

We are warm here

It is warm here

I am cold......because it is cold here

*to be hungry / thirsty

I am hungry (I have hunger / famine)I am not hungry

I would like to eat something...

...because I am hungryI am thirsty

I would like to drink something...

...because I am thirsty

What do you want to drink?(p39)

*to take, to have (food or drink)

What would you like to have (to eat or drink)?

(If you want to say "have" referring to food or drink, never use avoir. Instead useprendre meaning "to take, intake")I am going to have (take) a cup of coffeeI am going to have my breakfast

Will you have breakfast with me?

At what time do you want to have breakfast tomorrow morning?I am going shopping (to do purchases)

(Track 10, 7.32)

*myself

I think I can do it myselfI am going to try to do it myself

*anyway, even so

I am going to do it anywayI will do it anyway

*even if...

Even if you tell me that I cannot do it......I am going to try to do it anyway

(p40)

I am going to do it slowly

It is not going very wellIt is going badly

It astonishes me, surprises me

I am surprisedHe is surprised

*He is quite surprised

(bien before an adjective means "quite")*She is surprised

Are you surprised?


20/22

(If you are talking about a woman, add-e to surpris to make it feminine)*It doesn't surprise me

*It is...*...magnificent

...superb

...great...fantastic, tremendous

*bad / badly

It is very badI don't like it because it is very bad

He is doing it badly

It is going badly

It is not going badly todayOn the contrary, it is going very well

(p41)

*It is very light

It is very heavyIt is too heavy

*to lift / to get upI am lifting it up

I am getting up (lifting myself up)

I am going to get upI am going to get up early

I am going to get up earlier

It is too early

I am going to get up early (of good hour) tomorrow morning*It is very heavy

I cannot lift it up...

...because it is too heavy*It is full

It is too full

*to fill up / to fill in (a form)Will you fill in the form?

It is very empty (void)

It is too empty

*to emptyI am going to empty it

Will you fill up the glass?

Will you fill up the bottle?It is not clean

Will you clean it up?

It is very dirtyIt is too dirty

(Track 11, 6.50, p42)

*to answer (respond)


21/22

to give an answer

Will you give me an answer?

I am waiting for your answerWill you answer me?

It is perfect

It is really perfectWhere do you want to put it?

I would like to know where it is

*It is (finds itself)...I would like to know where it is located

I would like to know where is the restaurant

The restaurant is near here

The restaurant is quite near hereYou can walk there

It is not far

*anyway, any place, no matter where

You can get it anywhereYou can find it anyplace

*anybodyAnybody can tell you

*any time, no matter when

You can come any time*at any time

You can come at any time

(p43)

You can do it at any time / no matter whenanyhow, no matter how

*I am looking for it everywhere...

...but you can find it anyplace*without

I can't do it without you

without worrieswithout...

...telling me

...finding it

...leaving

...saying a word

He is going to leave without saying a word

(For verbs in English which end in -ingsuch as "doing", "making" says and which followa preposition such as sans, you use the whole infinitive verb in French)*It is enough

*It / That is enough (It suffices)It is enough for today

It is enough like that


22/22

Good trip!

Good luck!

*to wishI wish you good luck

to your wishes (said after sneezing)

until soon

(end of recording)

mt french builder (eng only)

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